Cigarette case and dispenser



Oct. 15, 1940. G. H. HUTAFF, JR

CIGARETTE CASE AND DISPENSER Filed Sept. 17, 1958 Patented Oct. 15, 1940 riso stars YFiCE 7 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in cigarette oase and dispenser rand in so far ras 'there is common subject matter is a continuation in part of my application led "November 4, 1937, Serial No. 172,795, issued August 1, 1939, `as Fatent No. 2,168,214.

The principal object Vof the present invention resides in the provision of la device of the character described in which provision is m-ade for 'storing ia number of cigarettes :and dispensing a single .cigarette at la time at the desire of the user, a lid or cover being provided for normally closing the case, but adapted to be raised for placing .the cigarettes therein or depressed from its nor- "mal horizontal closing position for dispensing the cigarettes.

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of novel means for operating a slidable plunger which dispensesv a single cigarette at a gtime through a horizontally positioned elongated opening in the front face of the case, said openating means including the hinged cover or closure of the case and a vertically extending slidlable memben'said sli-dable member being nor- 25 vmally held in its raised position to form la support for holding Vthe lidoi1 cover in la substantially horizontal position, the lid or cover being pivotally connected to the body portion of the case in such ya manner that it may be swung uplwardly from its horizontal position or depressed therefrom, the depressing movement thereof operating the vertically extending slidable member to in turn operate the slidable plunger for dispensing the cigarettes.

A still further object of the invention `consists in changing the position of the dispensed cigarette as it is discharged'through the elongated horizontal opening of the case, the cigarette being normally positioned to extend parallel with the elongated opening but in its discharge movement through the opening being turned to project forwardly of the case in ya position to be engaged and withdrawn by the user.

Wit-h the above and other objects in View, which will lappear `as my description proceeds, my invention consists in the novel details of construction, and `arrangement of parts, described in the following specification `and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, `and while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, as they noW appear to me, it will be understood that such changes may be made as will fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawinga Fig'. 1 isa perspective.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows with the cover or lid in position.

Fig. 3 is a Vertical section on the line 3 3 of 5 Fig. 2 looking in t-heldirection of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is .a horizontal section on the line .ll-Ji of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 5 isa detailed perspective of the operating 10 means or plate for the 'slidable dispensing plunger.

In carrying forward my invention I provide a box-like `structure including 1a front plate I having a horizontally extending elongated opening Z 15 therein, side plates 3, rear plate Il, rand bottom 5, the 'bottom 5 being provided with the openings 5 vand 'l for a purpose which will be presently brought out.. A lid or'cover 8 is pivo-tally connected, by pin hinges 9, to be normally positioned between the front, back rand side plates 3 with its upper surface on la plane iiush with the upper edges of the plates sand secured to this lid or cover, adjacent its free edge, is a knob or hand-hold iii for manipulation thereof. By the pin connections 9 the lid or cover may beraised to supply the boxlike structure or receptacle with Lcigarettes or may be depressed into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 for dispensing za lsingle cigarette in a manner which will be presentlybrought ou-t.

What might be termed 'a false bottom or plunger support i i is positioned slightly lab-ove the bottom 5, =as shown more panticul'arly in Fig. 2 of the drawing, this false bottom or support being formed with a central opening l2. the false bottom or support il is la plunger or plunger plate i3 formed at its rear edge with the projecting lugs `or ears it and the inwardly ex tending elongated slot l5. Positioned between #and supported by the lugs or ears l is @a roller i5. 40 The plunger or plunger plate i3 is norm-ally held in its forward position by the coiled spring il, one end of the'spring being connected to the eye iii, carried by the false bottom i l, while 'the opposite end of the spring is connected to the eye l 9, caru ried by the plunger or pla-te it. vWhen in its i'orward position the front edge of the plunger projects into the elongated opening il, as shown more particularly in Figs. l rand 2 o1" the drawing. Formed in the forward edge of this plunger or plunger plate i3, iat one end, is ya notch ZEE, this notch permitting the cigarette, which is being dispensed, to turn from -a horizontal position parallel with the opening 2 to Ia position :at right angles thereto projectedfforwardlyto be easily grasped, 55"

Slidable on 35 f r it being understood that in dispensing the end of the cigarette will engage t-he end 2I of the opening 2 which cooperates to turn the cigarette as described. As this particular feature of the invention forms no particular par-t of the present invention, and it is described more in detail in my co-pending application, above referred to, a further description will not be given at the present time.

Interiorly of the box-like structure or body is provided an inclined platform 22, the lower edge of which terminates inwardly of the front face of the box or receptacle, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawing. This platform is provided, adjacent its upper edge, at the rear face 4, with an opening 23 and the purpose of this opening will be later brought out. It will be understood that the cigarettes will be supported on this platform and will roll onto the upper surface of the plunger or plunger plate I3.

For operating the plunger or plunger plate I3 I provide a member including a vertically extending portion 24 having the head 25 at its` upper end and the forwardly directed projection 26 having the depending portion 27. The lower edge of the projection 2G is inclined, as shown at 28, and engages the roller It, carried by the plunger or plunger plate i3, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The operating member is normally held in its raised position, shown in full lines in Fig. 2, by means of the plunger or plunger plate i3 which is in turn held in its normal forward position by the spring H. The vertically extending portion 21% passes through the opening 23 in the platform 22 with its lower end received in an opening 29 in the false bottom II. The head portion 25 normally supports the lid or cover 8 in the horizontal position shown in full lines.

It is thought from the above that 'the detailed construction will be understood and I will now describe the operation more in detail. When it is desired to ll the case with cigarettes the user will grasp the knob or hand-hold I and raise the lid or cover 8 upwardly, this movement being the knob or hand-hold SG and this will swing` the lid or cover into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The downward movement of the lid or cover, engaging the head 25, lowers the v portion 24 of the operating member with its forwardly directed extension Zii and this lowering of the operating member will cause the plunger I3 to be moved rearwardly against the action of the coiled spring il, it being understood that the inclined surface 28 of the extension 2G, engaging the roller E6, will cause the plunger to be drawn rearwardly. A single cigarette will drop onto the false bottom or support Il in front of the plunger or plunger plate I3. When the knob or hand-hold Ii) is released the coiled spring 'l will draw the plunger or plunger plate I3 forwardly and discharge a single cigarette through the opening 2, the cigarette being turned as it passes through the opening, in the manner previously described, to project forwardly into position to be grasped and removed bythe user. As the plunger or plunger plate I3 moves forwardly, the roller i6 operating over the inclined surface 28, will cause the operating member to be moved into its normally raised position and in turn to raise the lid or cover to its normal horizontal position. When the operating member is lowered the projection 21 will engage in the opening 5 of the bottom while the lower end of the member or portion 24 will enter the opening 1. By providing the false bottom or support II with the opening l2 the surface to be engaged by the plunger or plunger plate I3 is reduced and therefore friction is reduced in the operation of the plunger.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire Vto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A combined cigarette case and dispenser including a receptacle having an opening therein,` means including a plunger for supporting cigarettes in the receptacle, a movable cover for the receptacle, a plunger support, means controlled by movement of the cover for operating the plunger in a direction to allow a single cigarette to be positioned on the plunger support in front of and parallel with the edge of the plunger, and means for returning the plunger to its initial position and to discharge the cigarette in front of the plunger from the receptacle through the opening therein.

2. A combined cigarette case and dispenser including a receptacle having an opening therein, means including a plunger for supporting cigarettes in the receptacle, a cover pivotally connected to the receptacle and normally held in horizontal position but adapted for movement in both an upward and downward direction from its normal position, a plunger support, means controlled by the downward movement of the cover from its normal position to operate the plunger to position the same to permit a single cigarette to be positioned on the plunger support in front of and parallel with the edge of the plunger, and means for returning the plunger to its normal position and to discharge the cigarette in front of the plunger from the receptacle through the opening therein, the cover when swung in an upward direction from its normal position permitting filling of the receptacle with the cigarettes.

3. A combined cigarette case and dispenser including a receptacle provided with a dispensing opening, means including a plunger for supporting cigarettes in the receptacle, a cover pivotally connected to the receptacle and adapted for movement in both an upward and downward direction from its normal position, a plunger support means interposed between the cover and plunger and operable by downward movement of the cover to in turn operate the plunger to a position to permit a single cigarette to be positioned on the plunger support in front of and parallel with the edge of the plunger, and means for returning the plunger to its initial position to discharge the cigarette in front of the plunger through the dispensing opening in the receptacle, said means interposed between the cover and plunger normally supporting the cover in a horizontal position but permitting the same to be raised from said horizontal position to place cigarettes in the receptacle.

4. A combined cigarette case and dispenser including a receptacle provided with a dispensing opening, means including a plunger for supporting cigarettes in the receptacle, a cover pivotally connected to the receptacle and adapted for movement in both an upward and downward direction from its normal position, a plunger support in the receptacle, a vertically slidable member interposed between the cover and plunger, said member normally supporting the cover in a horizontal position but operable upon downward movement of the cover to operate the plunger to a position to permit a single cigarette to be positioned on the plunger support in front of the plunger and parallel with the edge of the plunger, and means for returning the plunger to its normal position to discharge the cigarette in front of the plunger through the dispensing opening of the receptacle.

5. A combined cigarette case and dispenser including a receptacle provided with a dispensing opening, means including a plunger for supporting cigarettes in the receptacle, a cover pivotally connected to the receptacle, a plunger support, a roller carried by the plunger, a member interposed between the cover and plunger and having a beveled portion engageable with the roller of the plunger for operation thereof, said member normally supporting the cover in horizontal position and operable by movement of the cover from its normal position to operate the plunger to a position to permit a single cigarette to be positioned on the plunger support in front of the plunger and parallel with the edge of the plunger, and means for returning the plunger to its normal position to discharge the cigarette in front of the plunger through the dispensing opening of the receptacle.

6. A combined cigarette case and dispenser including a receptacle having a dispensing opening therein, means including a plunger for supporting cigarettes in the receptacle, a cover pivotally connected to the receptacle and adapted `for movement in both an upward and downward direction from its normal horizontal position, a plunger support in the receptacle, a roller carried by the plunger,y a member slidably interposed between the cover and plunger, said member having a head portion formed on its upper end adapted to engage and support the cover in its normal horizontal position and a forwardly directed portion having a beveled surface engageable with the roller of the plunger for operating the plunger, said interposed member being operated on a downward movement of the cover from its original position to operate the plunger to a position to permit a single cigarette to be positioned on the plunger support in front of and parallel with the edge of the plunger, and means for returning the plungerto its initial position and discharge the single cigarette in front of the plunger through the dispensing opening, the cover when moved in an upward direction from its normal position permitting. lling of the receptacle with cigarettes.

7. A combined cigarette case and dispenser including a receptacle having a discharge opening therein, means including a plunger for supporting cigarettes in the receptacle, a plunger support, a cover pivotally connected to the receptacle for swinging movement in an upward or downward direction, a single interposed member kfor normally supporting the cover in horizontal ment of the plunger to its initial position acting 'n through the interposed member to return the cover to its normal horizontal position and to permit the same to be swung upwardly fromits horizontal position to permit filling of the receptacle.

GEORGE I-I. HUTAFF, JR. 

